Gattaca (1997)

"Heavy filtered light, classic shapes and 1960's suits go a long way toward making Los Angeles look otherworldly." - Andrew Niccol

We have been told many times that in the future, parents may be able to "select" the attributes of their children, before they are even conceived, through genetics. This idea is stretched to the limit in "Gattaca," a film set in the "near future" where genetically engineered children grow up to have all the choice jobs. Those born of the "old" normal means, human desire, are called "De-Generates (de-gene-er- ates)." They are given menial tasks. They are treated like second class citizens and victims of a sort of "genetic" prejudice. The film is careful to show blacks and other minorities as genetically engineered perfects in this new society. Race and gender have nothing to do with it anymore. Wisely, the film also avoids the topic of sexuality, although heterosexuality is shown, of course, as the norm.

Ethan Hawke, naked yet obscured in many scenes, plays Vincent, a boy born without genetic interference to Jayne Brooks (TV's "Chicago Hope") and her husband. They choose a geneticist to help with the second child however and Hawke, through narration which eventually becomes obtrusive, is shown while a youth (played by another actor) to compete with his more perfect brother at every turn. When finally a teen, he leaves home.

Hawke goes on to bust the system. He wants to be an astronaut so no other sort of work is shown to us really. We have to see the future through this one avenue. Of course, Hawke's Vincent cannot be an astronaut. Although it is supposedly against the law, only those genetically engineered get into the program. In the future, by the way, we launch several space missions a week. Being an astronaut is big business.

Hawke works his way into the system through fraud. He is helped in this by Tony Shaloub and Jude Law. The former is merely a set-up guy while Law, because the script set-ups demands it, stays around to be a major character. His boring, obnoxious self-pitying character plays well off Hawke's generic nice guy and we end up really liking the two. Too bad there is no way they can be gay. Law is genetically engineered so we have to assume this simply could not happen, although Law seems rather gay to me. Their living arrangement is subtly "homoerotic" regardless. The two live together, share a secret and Hawke acts as a sort of "keeper" for Law. They need each other and, in a roundabout way, share body fluid. What could be more gay?

Still, instead of Law, Hawke has Uma Thurman as his love interest. She is cute and likable as well. Although she and Hawke have little chemistry, they do work well together.

Also in the cast is Gore Vidal, perfectly as a turgid leader in the "Gattaca" (space program) hierarchy. He is treated badly by a rather lame turn in the script but it is still great to see him in a part so suited to his skill. Ernest Borgnine has a bit part and it is good to see him on screen as well. There is an important scene in the film's plot where Borgnine appears and it is important that we remember him so it is wise to cast a well-known name. Meanwhile, Blair Underwood also has a cameo in the film. But the true stars of the second half of the movie are Loren Dean and Alan Arkin. The chemistry they evoke leads to moments of humor as well as subtextural themes which are important to the plot's success. Arkin, as usual, has a blast making wisecracks through the piece. Dean is called upon to help expose and play out a pivotal character trait in Hawke and he does this well here.

"Gattaca's" Writer and Director Andrew M. Niccol films the piece satisfactory with only a few plot holes and boring patches. His use of narration bogs the film down when Hawke doesn't need to tell us everything. The best in Science Fiction show us rather than tells us about the future. But the script has enough plot twists and surprises in it to keep us going. The film also looks nice with "Gattaca's" stark and futuristic sets and landscapes evoking the sterile future of a genetically engineered society.

The film's end gets dampened a bit into sentimental Hollywoodism but overall there is enough to keep us into it. Theres no doubt, however, that it could have been a better film. The film's best asset is Hawke, the Hollywood wunderkid who has made many a mediocre film fly. Here, he makes a good film even better with his sturdy portrayal of a man obsessed enough to undergo numerous tortures and pitfalls in order to achieve his goal. Eventually, he becomes what he dreamed of, only to find other fates at work to crumble his self-made paradise. How he reacts to this and finds his path through these obstacles is the film's true story. Hawke proves again just how good he is. And those around him, although quite talented themselves, shine even more in his light.

Notes:

Throughout production, the film was known as "The Eighth Day."

Music by Michael Nyman. One of the Producers is Danny Devito. Costumes by Hollywood stalwart Colleen Atwood.

Filmed in Marin County.

(Review written in 1997)

Report Card

Script: B-

Acting: A

Cinematography\Lighting: A

Special Effects\Make Up: A

Music: A

Final Grade: B-